Stabilized Stream Crossings

Stream crossing points are an important consideration for both livestock and machinery. Often pastureland is dissected by a stream and simply fencing the stream out can concentrate livestock at a single crossing point. Stabilizing crossing points can help eliminate some of the problems associated with the increased traffic.

A stabilized crossing point has a gradual sloping bank covered with a material that resists the impact of cattle and machinery. This type of crossing helps reduce water pollution by stopping soil erosion, thereby reducing nutrients and sediment from entering the waterway.

Several crossing points have been installed on the stewardship ranch for livestock and equipment. The NRCS provided the design, which called for excavating a trench one foot deep across the bed of the waterway. The bottom was covered with three inches of sand, one piece of 8mm geotextile, sheets of geocell, and ten inches of gravel. The idea is to provide a firm crossing point that is stable enough to withstand the force of water flowing over the top without eroding the crossing.